Former UNC student dies in Navy Yard shooting

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A former UNC student from the 1980s was among the 12 employees of the Washington Navy Yard who were shot and killed on Monday.

Mary DeLorenzo Knight, 51, was shot to death by Aaron Alexis, who fired multiple rounds at law enforcement officers before he was shot to death by officers.

Knight’s name was released Tuesday by the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, D.C.

The case is currently being investigated by the FBI, along with the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch and the Crime Scene Investigation Division. The suspect’s motive is currently unknown.

Knight was a UNC student in the 1980s, but the University does not have a record of her graduation or degree, said UNC spokeswoman Susan Hudson.

The registrar’s office found that Knight was enrolled as a full-time student from the fall of 1980 to spring of 1981. At that time, her major was radio, television and motion pictures.

Knight lived in Reston, Va., according to the police department. She worked at the Navy Yard, which serves as an administrative center for the U.S. Navy. A family spokesman could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

She also was an adjunct professor who taught information technology courses at Northern Virginia Community College, school spokeswoman Jessica Baxter said.

It was her first semester teaching at the college, and she was teaching two courses on the Annandale and Loudoun campuses, Baxter said.

Knight used to work at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, an international security and defense studies institute sponsored by both the U.S. and German governments.

In prepared remarks Monday, President Barack Obama said the shooting targeted military and civilian personnel.

“They’re patriots, and they know the dangers of serving abroad — but today, they faced unimaginable violence that they wouldn’t have expected here at home,” he said.

“We stand with the families of those who’ve been harmed. They’re going to need our love and support. And as we learn more about the courageous Americans who died today — their lives, their families, their patriotism — we will honor their service to the nation they helped to make great.”

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